The Greatest Gift
by Shirogane7
Summary: A one-shot about the most important part of Christmas - family. Mostly OCs.


**A Christmas One Shot, with OCs and maybe a few Canon characters.**

**All OCs belong to me. **

**The Greatest Gift of All**

It was the night before Christmas and all across Ponyville every pony of all ages was getting ready. Earth Pony, Pegasi, Unicorn, even Princess Twilight Sparkle was doing her best to help prepare the celebrations with her friends. The Apple family were working to make apple pies, apple strudel, anything that comes to mind when you put apple and christmas in the same sentence. Pinkie Pie was being her normal self, somehow managing to pack 30 inflated balloons in a box no bigger than Spike and was looking after Mr and Mrs Cakes twin toddlers. Rainbow Dash was supposed to be rearranging the clouds to make it snow lightly, or she was supposed to if she wasn't slacking off.

For the mail service that delivers across Equestria, this is almost always a busy and frantic time of the year with so many orders being placed that they had to call up every Pegasi who was available regardless of work patterns. Often this lead to some of the workforce having to work on the actual day and miss out, much to their annoyance. Cloud Nine was one such Pegasi faced with this problem. He was grey blue with creamy yellow hair and his cutie mark was a white wing, showing his amazing flying skills. He lived with his sister Azure Storm and his Uncle Silver Boulder. Azure was a unicorn, a filly, and a blank flank. She was a cream coloured pony with red hair and, of course, a horn. She was a very bright and bubbly unicorn who was almost as bouncy as Pinkie Pie which is saying something. At their home, when she heard about her brother, she stopped and became sad almost immediately.

"But why do you have to go big bro?" She said, looking at Cloud with the big, sad eyes.

Could sighed and said calmly, "I don't have a choice. The mail company needs every worker the can get their hooves on, me included."

"But this is the most important time of the year!" Azure protested and jumped up somewhat annoyed.

Cloud stopped her moving with a gentle, firm hoof. "I know, but that is the exact reason it's so busy. So many ponies want their gifts on time so they can give to others. It's crazy, but there is no other way."

Silver Boulder came over to ask something. He was tallish and stocky, with a strikingly tanned coat and grey hair. He also had a small, smooth beard that was darker than his hair. His cutie mark was two gears with a screwdriver. Silver was a well-known fixer and inventor, he would sometimes help the Apple family. "How long will you be working for?" He asked.

"...I'm not sure. That all depends on how well everypony works." Cloud said and thought,_ Hopefully I won't have to do too much, like last year with that long distance flight._ What happened last year was that, somehow, an order for someone in the Griffon Kingdom had ended up in Equestria and Cloud was sent to drop it off at their mail service. What happened was nothing short of a disaster. During that 8 hour flight just to get there he had to fly up higher and as a result almost lost consciousness. Luckily, he had written a note and put it on the parcel, so when they saw it they understood. He had to stay overnight to recover and didn't get home till two days after by which he was exhausted. His family had been worried to death and upon returning his family burst into tears of both joy and relief.

"...Okay, as long as it isn't last year all over again." Silver said after a brief moment of hesitation.

"Relax uncle, the company have done their best to ensure that such a thing would never happen again. Unless they get an order from the Kingdom, which is very unlikely, I won't have to go further than maybe Vanhoover or Baltimare." Cloud said reassuringly then put on his goggles and left.

**-December 25 3:15PM-**

This year was feeling more and more like last year all over again. Sure they had spent some time with her best friend Holly Heart playing in the snow with several other fillies including Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. Silver was accompanying Azure, keeping a watchful eye on her whilat talking with Applejack, who had to stick with the CMCs and wasn't the happiest apple on the tree.

"Are ya absolutely sure there ain't going to be any shenanigans like the ruckus last year?" Applejack asked, somewhat nervously.

"Yes, Applejack, relax. Cloud had a personal talk with the company who got bogged down with quite a bit of paperwork trying to sort it out. He got some compensation in the form of a pay rise of about a third, which he accepted mainly because to pursue it any further would be stressful." Silver said wearily as he watched Azure make a snowball with her horn and fling it at Scootaloo.

"I understand what you mean Silver Boulder, why there was this one time when I..." She started eagerly, but Silver stopped her by politely interrupting "Thanks, for the chat and I'd love to hear another one of your stories, but I have to get going and take Holly home. Azure!" He called out and the two unicorn fillies came over. Holly was a light green filly with violet hair that contained several black streaks in it.

After a few quick goodbyes they returned home where Azure's parents would visit for the remainder of the day and stay overnight at Silvers house before returning to Manehatten. They were coming at around 4 PM, which would be in about 15 minutes time. Silver got the fire going when somepony knocked on the front door three times. Almost immediately Azure jumped up in hope and was about to make a commotion when Silver shook his head. "That is not Cloud. He always knocks four times at a standard speed. This is three knocks with a pause in between each one." It took Azure a moment to realise that he was right and she drooped in sadness then returned to the couch.

Silver opened the door and saw a Pegasi hidden underneath a cloak that looked as if it had been worn because it was starting to fray at the edges were the snow had been biting it. "Um… can I help you?" He asked and after a slight pause the stranger replied in a light, slightly accented voice, "Is this where Cloud Nine lives? I am a colleague of his at work." The stranger explained in a surprisingly friendly tone. Silver decided to let him in because he didn't detect a lie in the pony.

"Yes, do you mind waiting a bit? He is not back from his shift yet."

"Not at all, it is rather chaotic there when I came out nearly 4 hours ago. By the way, my name is Sky Arrow." As Sky entered, Silver thought,_ Odd, it must be my imagination, because it was noon almost 4 hours ago and my brother and sister in law are going to come soon._

Sky made his way through to the living room and sat down on the chair. It was Cloud's favourite chair and he would often use it when he was tired and couldn't sleep in his bed. The way he seemed at ease with that particular position was what convinced Silver that the pony was not who he said he was, in fact he seemed pretty sure of who 'Sky Arrow' actually was.

"You know something, Sky? I don't believe you are who you claim to be." Silver said.

"Huh?" Azure said, not understanding what was going on. "Go on." Sky said calmly.

"First off the way you sit naturally on the chair is the exact same way Cloud sat on it for the past 5 years."

"Huh, huh?"

"Secondly, it is about 5 minutes to 4 PM, the time when my brother from Manehattan. Two coincedences aren't coincedences, Cloud." Silver finished triumphantly. The Pegasus looked at Silver for a moment then began laughing in his normal voice. "Nothing ever gets past you Uncle." Removing his hood, Cloud had a smile on his face. Azures heart skipped a beat, then she rushed towards him and gave him a hug, crying at the same time. "B...big bro!" Was all she could say then she stopped and asked, "What happened?"

"This year was a lucky year. Nobody was off sick or injured, so things went without a hitch. They went so well, I actually was allowed to leave early, about half an hour ago. I did this to surprise you!" He said simply as their parents knocked on the door.

**End~**


End file.
